Harvard Student Begins New ME/CFS Documentary Project

From the Website: Jennifer is a doctoral student in the Department of Government at Harvard University on indefinite medical leave. Prior to that, she was a print journalist in Beijing and East Africa. She earned her AB in Politics from Princeton University. This is her directorial debut..

By Jennifer Brea

I am making a documentary about Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and am reaching out to people living with these and related illnesses in search of subjects for the film. This project is inspired by my own experiences with moderate (sometimes severe) ME.

We are looking for people living in all regions of the U.S. and internationally. In the short-term, we are especially interested in patients based in the northeast, from D.C. to Boston. We hope to represent the diversity of people with this illness in terms of race, region, gender, ethnicity, social class, severity of illness, approach to treatment, age, and length of time sick.

As we aim to make a film about interesting people who happen to have ME/CFS, rather than a film where ME/CFS is the main character, we care just as much about you as we care about your illness.

What did you do, love, or care about before you got sick? What has your illness stolen? What has it given? How have you come (or not) to accept your new body? What challenges (health or otherwise) are you currently grappling with? How have you found a way to continue doing, loving, caring? How has ME/CFS been a teacher?

We are also interested in how ME/CFS affects the people around us: our parents, partners, children, friends, caregivers. If you are in that category, or if you have lost a loved one to ME/CFS, we’d like to hear from you.

Our goals are to tell a good story, with images that are beautifully and professionally shot; increase empathy; and, especially for those of us who are home and bed-bound, make us visible again.

If you think you might be interested in sharing your story, please email info@canaryinacoalminefilm.com with the subject “Submission” and tell us a bit about yourself.

Thank you to Jennifer Brea for creating this worthwhile project. ME/CFS is ruining the lives of millions. Patients are being neglected by the medical profession and by governments around the world. A documentary that sheds light on this devastating disease will be especially welcome.